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This year will see two separate research initiatives which aim to establish if cannabis does have medicinal properties. One carried out by a private company, GW Pharmaceuticals, will involve an aerosol mixture of pure cannabis. The second, organised by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, will examine whether the active ingredients in cannabis can be extracted and formulated into a new medication. If the research results are accepted as valid by the World Health Organisation, then other pain sufferers will be able to use cannabis on an individual 'named patient' basis until the law can be changed. GW Pharmaceuticals spokesman, Mark Rogerson explains: "We are producing an extract from the whole plants, which is a bit like syrup. It will be delivered to the patient in the form of a heated vapour because cannabis needs heat to work. "Patients will use a very clever device rather similar to the nebulisers used by people with asthma." I about six months time, two trials will be carried out, overseen by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. One, involving 300 volunteers, will establish whether cannabis can relieve post-operative pain (pain following surgery). The other, with 600 volunteers, will check if the drug can relieve muscle spasms in people with multiple sclerosis. It has been estimated that 1000 people with MS already use cannabis illegally to relieve muscle spasm. Copyright 1999 Associated Newspapers Ltd In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107 and The Berne Convention on Literary and Artistic Works, Article 10, news clippings are made available without profit for research and educational purposes. |
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